Process of making soap and removing glycerine therefrom



H THURMAN 2,142,982

(TLYCERTNE THERFIFROM Jan. 3, 1939.

PROCESS OF MAKENG SOAP AN Original Filed May 21, 1935 mil A TTOR/VE y:

Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PROCESS OF MAKING SOAP AND REMOVIN GL YCEBJNE THEREFBiHtI Benjamin H. Thurman, Bronxville, N. Y., assignor to Refining, Inc., Reno, Nev., a corporation oi Nevada Application May 21, 1935, Serial No. 22,555

' Renewed October 21, 1938 18 Claims.

My invention relates to a process for the manufacture of soap, and more particularly to a process in which glycerine may be removed from the soap after saponification of its constituent fats.

Soap is produced by the saponification of fats by suitable reagents, and for all purposes herein the term iat'f is defined as including all those tats, oils, and other substances which may be used in soap manufacture, including, for example, animal fats, vegetable oils and fats, and fish oils.

The term reagent as used herein includes all those substances which are adapted to produce a saponification of fats, such as, for example, caustic potash or caustic soda in aqueous solution.

The term purifying agent" as used herein is defined as including all those substances which are adapted to remove impurities irom'iats or soaps when used in connection with the hereinafter described process. 7

It is a primary object of my invention to provide a process and apparatus whereby fat may be saponified with a reagent to produce reaction products including soap and glycerine, the glycerine than being separated from the soap, and the soap being finished independently of the 8 8C- erine.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a process and apparatus whereby raw i'ats or fats in a partially purified state may be saponified with a reagent to produce soap and glycerine, the glycerine then being separated from the soap, and the soap being purified independently of said glycerine.

Another object of my invention is to provide a process and apparatus whereby raw tats or fats in a partially purified state may be saponified with a reagent to produce soap and glycerine, the glycerine then being separated from the soap. and the soap being purified independently of the glycerine and subsequently finished so as to have a desired moisture content.

Another object of my invention is to provide a process and apparatus whereby soap may be made in a substantially continuous process, including the steps of continuously saponifying a fat with a reagent to produce reaction products including soap and glycerine, continuously removing the glycerine from said reaction products, and continuously finishing the soap independently 01 said glycerine.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a process and apparatus whereby soap may be made in a substantially continuous process, including the steps of continuously mixing a raw or partially purified fat with a reagent, continuously saponiiying the mixture of fat and reagent to produce soap and glycerine, continuously removing the glycerine from the soap so that it may be recovered in a relatively pure state, purifying the soap, and continuously passing the 5 purified soap through a moisture content control device to'produce a finished soap having a predetermined moisture content. p

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be evident from the following disclosure l0 and the claims.-

Referring to the drawing; which shows an ap-; paratus-which I prefer tense in the practice of my invention but which is for the purpose of illustration only: i a

The figure is a diagrammatic general assembly view inelevation of the apparatus, a portion of this apparatus being shown 'in section.

. In the drawing, I show a mixing apparatus 10, a primary heating. means II, a separating means 20 30, a primary condensing means 40, asecondary condensing means 50, a purifying-means, a secondary heatingmeans BI, and a finishing chamber".

The mixing apparatus 10 consists of an alkali 2!! pump ii and a fat pump ii, the pump I2 being driven by a suitable motor l3 and the pump H being driven from the pump I! through a variable speed transmission il, which may be made in the form of a speed changing gear. The fat which it is desired to convert into soap is taken from a fat tank I 6 and is pumped into a mixer i1 by the pump i2. An alkali tank 18 contains an aqueous solution of a saponii'ying alkali or reagent, such as caustic soda in water, the pump 35 ii taking the aqueous solution or reagent from the tank i8 and pumping it into the mixer ii. The mixed fat and reagent pass through a pipe H to a coil 2 lot the primary heating means 20.

The primary heating means 20 is comprised of 0 an outer shell 23, within which the coil II is positioned, and has a burner N adapted tobe supplied with fuel through a valved iuel pipe 25. Gas, oil, or any other suitable combustible material may be used as fueLin the burner 24. this fuel being 45 ignited at the burner, and the hot products of combustion passing upwardly. inside the shell 23 and supplying heat to the-coil 2!. In the mixer ii, the pipe i9, and the coil 2! a reaction takes place in which part or all oithe fat is saponified 50 to. form soap, glycerine. water vapors, residue fats, and other by-products, hereinafter termed the reaction products." The reaction products are delivered through a pipe 28 having a pressure gauge 21 and a thermometer 28 therein, to the u motor or other source of power 31.

separating means 30. A valve 29 is also placed in the pipe 26, so that the amount of reaction products flowing therein and the pressure thereof may be controlled as desired.

The separating means 30 is comprised of an outer shell 3|, which is preferably of air-tight construction, into which the pipe 26 extends, the end thereof being provided with a nozzle means 32 which may be of any suitable construction and preferably has a restricted orifice therein through which the reaction products flowing in the pipe 26 may be ejected downwardly. Communicating with the lower end of the shell 3| is a valve means preferably in the form of a star valve 33 to permit removal of the reaction products therefrom, it being connected to a pipe 35. A pipe 34 also connects with the pipe 35 so that water or other liquid may mix with the reaction products to render them sufiiciently fluid to be pumped through the pipe 35 by a pressure pump 36 driven by a leads fromthe upper end of the shell 3| to the primary condensing means 40.

The primary condensing means 40 consists of a shell 4| having intermediate heads 42 between which cooling water is circulated from a valved pipe 43 to a drainage pipe 44. Tubes 45 extend between the heads 42 so that vapor from the pipe 38 can pass upwardly through the tubes and be delivered to a vapor conduit 46. Any liquid condensed in the tubes 45 passes downwardly through an exit pipe 41, which is preferably approximately thirty-five feet in length, the lower end of the exit pipe being at all times submersed in liquid carriedin a glycerine tank 48 which acts as a receptacle for the glycerine or other liquid condensed by the primary condensing means 40.

Vapor in the vapor conduit 46 is delivered to the lower end of the secondary condenser means 50, which is similar inconstruction to the primary condenser means 40, it being cooled by water delivered from a valved pipe 5| which escapes or is forced out through a drain pipe 52. Any liquid condensed in the tubes of the secondary condensing means 50 passes into an exit pipe 53, which preferably extends downwardly approximately thirty-five feet and has its lower end at all times submerged in water carried in a water tank 54. The surfaces of the liquids in the tanks 48 and 54 are at all times open to atmospheric pressure, each of the tanks 48 and 54 being of suiiicient capacity to hold more than the entire contents of the pipes 41 and 53 respectively.

Leading from the upper end of the secondary condensing means 50 is a pipe 56 having therein an air pump 51 driven by a suitable power source such as a motor 58. The air pump 51 is of any convenient construction capable of withdrawing air and vapor from the secondary condensing means 58 and establishing and maintaining a high vacuum therein.

The pipe 35 from the separating means 30 is connected through inlet pipes 85 and valves 6| with a plurality of kettles or tanks 62 which comprise the purifying means 60. Although in the drawing I show three kettles, 62 connected to the pipe 35, it is to be understood that any desired number of kettles may be -connected in like manner without departing from the spirit of my in vention, and in practice it may be desirable to use either one large kettle or a large number of small kettles. Likewise, in the drawing all the kettles are shown to be of similar construction, although they need not necessarily be so constructed.

A pipe 38 The kettles 62 may be made in any form suitable for soap purification, but I prefer to make them with outlet pipes 63 through which the purified soap may be led out of the kettles, and brine pipes 64 through which brine or other purifying agent may be introduced into the kettles from a suitable source of supply for use in the purification or salting-out operation. The Outlet pipes 83 are connected through valves 66 to a soap pipe 61 having a soap pump 68 therein driven by a motor 69. The outlet pipes 63 are also connected through valves 10 to a waste pipe ll through which brine, impurities, and other substances may be drawn oil from the kettles 62 and thereby separated from the purified soap. The

soap pump 68 is preferably a gear or screw pump capable of handling the purified soap coming from the kettles 62 and forcing it through the soap pipe 8! and delivering it to a coil 8| of the secondary heating means 80.

The secondary heating means 80 consists of an outer shell 82, housing the coil 8 I, and a burner 83 supplied with fuel through a valved fuel pipe 84. Any suitable fuel may be used in the burner 83, although I prefer to use gas or oil which may be supplied from the same source as that which supplies the burner 24, this fuel being ignited at the burner and the hot products of combustion passing upwardly inside the shell 82 and supplying heat to the coil 8 I. In the coil 8| the purified soap is heated to a desired temperature and is delivered through a pipe 85, having a pressure gauge 86 and a thermometer 81 therein, to a nozzle 9| in the finishing chamber 90.

The finishing chamber 90 consists of a shell 92 within which the nozzle 9| is positioned. The nozzle 9| is preferably comprised of a metal member having a constricted orifice through which the soap must pass, and it may be similar in construction to the nozzle 32. A suction blower 93 is connected to the shell 92 so that air and stream may be exhausted therethrough from the finishing chamber 90 as desired, and a valve 94 is placed in the lower end of the chamber so that the finished soap may be withdrawn therethrough from the chamber. A valved vent pipe 95 is connected to the lower end of the shell 92, so that air or other drying medium may be drawn through the finishing chamber 90 to dry the soap therein if desired.

The operation of my process will be better understood if the functions of the various pieces of apparatus above described are more fully explained. Other apparatus which will perform the same function can, of course, be substituted without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The function of the pumps and i2 is merely to pump fat and alkali into the mixer H in predetermined proportions, and to pump the resulting mixture into and through the coil 2| so as to build up any desired pressure in the primary heating zone formed by the primary heating means 20.

The primary heating means 28 is provided to heat or saponify the mixture of fat and alkali passing therethrough, which is performed by the transference of heat from the combustion products of the burner 24 through the wall of the coil 2| to the material flowing therein. The valve 29 is provided in the pipe 26 to restrict the flow of reaction products in the pipe as desired, or to build up a back pressure in the heating zone of the primary heating means 20, which may be indicated on the pressure gauge 21.

The function of the separating means 38 is to provide a vaporizing space in which water and glycerine vapors may separate as a mixed vapor from the soap which may emerge from the orifice of the nozzle 32 at considerable velocity in the form of a jet. The soap settles in the form of dry, partially dry, or melted particles, passes through the star valve 33, and is mixed with wa ter or other liquid from the pipe 34, which mixture is delivered through the pipe 35 by the pressure pump 36 to the purifying means 60. The pump 36 also acts to mix more completely the liquid from the pipe 34 with the soap.

The primary condensing means 40 is provided to condense the glycerine from the mixed water and glycerine Vapors separated from the soap in the separating means 30, the glycerine running down as a liquid and being delivered through the pipe 41 to the glycerine tank 48. The function of the secondary condensing means 50 is to condense the water from the water vapor or steam delivered through the conduit 45. The waterso condensed is delivered through the pipe 53 to the tank 54.

The pump 51 is adapted to operate to establish and maintain a partial vacuum in the primary condensing means 40, the secondary condensing means 50, and the vaporizing space in the air-tight shell 3| of the separating means 30. This function is accomplished by the pump by the constant removal of air, gas, or vapor passing through the secondary condensing means 50.

The function of the purifying means 60 is to remove from the soap undesirable impurities, such as, for example, coloring or odoriferous matter. This is accomplished by the addition of brine or other purifying agent through the pipes 64 to the soap in the kettles 62. The brine reacts with the soap to remove from the soap impurities or other undesirable substances which may be removed through the waste pipe H.

The soap pump 68 is adapted to withdraw purified soap from the kettles 62 and to pump it into and through the coil 8| of the secondary heating means 80.

The function of the secondary heating means is to heat the soap, which is accomplished in the form shown by the transference of heat from the combustion products of the burner 83 through the wall of the coil'8l to the soap fiowing therein.

The function of the pressure gauge 86 and the thermometer 8'! is to indicate the pressure and temperature of the soap leaving the secondary heating means 80, so that the pressure and temperature thereof may be controlled as desired by adjustment of the amount of fuel gas admitted to the burner 83 through the valved pipe 84 or by any other suitable means.

The vfunction of the finishing chamber 90 is to provide a vaporizing space in which water or other liquid may be separated from the soap which'may emerge from the constricted orifice of the nozzle 9| at considerable velocity in the form of a jet. The soap settles in the form of dry or partially dry particles in the bottom of the shell 92, from which it may be withdrawn through the valve 94. The suction-blower 93 is provided to aid the vaporization of the water or other liquid in the finishing chamber by establishing and maintaining a low pressure in the chamber, and to remove such water or liquid vapor from the chamber. The blower 93 is also adapted to draw air or other drying medium through the chamber 80 when the valve in the pipe SI is open to assist in the drying operation.

The method of. operation is as follows:

The tank I6 is filled with the saponiiiable fat which it is desired to convert into soap and which may contain undesirable foreign matter or coloring, this fat being heated by any suitable heating means, if necessary, to a point at which it is liquid. The tank I8 is filled with an aqueous solution of a reagent or saponifying alkali, such as, for example, a solution of caustic soda in water. The fat is pumped into the mixer II by the pump [Land the reagent or alkali is pumped into the mixer l'l by the pump H. The variable speed transmission l4 may be adjusted so that the proportion of alkali supplied to the mixer i1 is only slightly in excess of that theoretically necessary to completely saponify the fat. The pumps II and I2 may be piston pumps but should be of such type that they can pump against several hundred pounds per square inch pressure. The mixture of saponifying alkali and saponifiable fat is delivered by the pumps II and I! through the pipe l9 to the coil 2| of the primary heating means 20 and is heated therein by the combustion products from the burner 24.

In the mixer H, the pipe l9, and the coil 2| a reaction takes place between the saponiiying alkali and the saponifiable fat, and reaction products including soap and giycerine are formed. The reaction products, of course, may also contain impurities and other substances. Suiiicient heat is supplied to the mixture in the coil 2i to raise the temperature of the reaction products passing through the pipe 26 to a point at which the reaction proceeds rapidly, which temperature is indicated on the thermometer 28. The pressure in the pipe 26 is indicated by the gauge 21. The soap and glycerine passing through the pipe 26 may contain matter which it is desired to remove by purification; such as, for example, coloring or odoriferous matter, although some purification of the fat and soap may take place during the saponification of the fat in the coil 2|.

The reaction products are delivered through the pipe 26 and the valve 29 and ejected in the form of a jet from the nozzle 32 in the separat ing means 30. Due to the high temperature of' the reaction products when ejected from the nozzle 32, part or all of the water, glycerine, and any other fluids contained therein are flashed into vapor in the separating means 30, the vaporization being aided by the partial vacuum maintained in the separating means by the air pump 51. Sumcient heat may be supplied by the burner 24 to maintain the temperature of the reaction products passing through the pipe 26, as indicated by the thermometer 28, above the boiling point of glycerine at the absolute pressure indicated on the pressure gauge 21 or at the pressure existing in the separating means 30. The vacuum .in the separating means 30 causes the mixed vapors of water, glycerine, and other liquids separating from the soap therein to pass through the pipe 38, and then successively through the primary condensing means 40 and the secondary condensing means 50. During the passage of the vapors through the condensing means, the glycerine vapor is condensed in the primary condensing means 40 and collected in the tank 48, and the water vapor is condensed in the secondary condensing means 50 and collected in the tank 54. Although I have shown two condensers, it is to be understood that I do not intend to be limited thereby, since it may be desirabie to use a greater or less number of condensers depending upon the accuracy of distillation desired or upon the number of liquids desired to be condensed. Likewise, any suitable form of condenser, glycerine tank, or water tank may be used without departing from my invention.

The soap which is ejected from the nozzle 32 contains little or no water or glycerine and settles to the bottom of the shell 3|. The soap then passes through the star valve 33 and is mixed with water or other liquid from the pipe 34. The mixture of water from the pipe 35 and the soap in the lower end of the shell 3| renders the soap sufficiently liquid to be pumped from the shell through the pipe 35 by means of the pump- 36, from which it is delivered to the purifying means 60.

One of the valves Si is opened, and the remaining reaction products, of which soap is the principal constituent, which have been mixed with water in the pipe 35, are permitted to pass into one of the kettles 62. The outlet valves 56 and 10 are closed, and the kettle is filled to a desired point, at which time the inlet valve 6| of the filled kettle is closed, and the reaction products in the pipe 35 are then conducted to another kettle which is filled in the same manner. By providing a sufficient number of kettles 62, and by replenishing the supplies of fat and reagent in the tanks l6 and [8 as becomes necessary, the saponification operation in the coil 21 and the separation of the water and glycerine vapors in the separating means 80 may be conducted continuously, the reaction products in the pipe 35 being conducted to the kettles in sequence. It is to be understood that several ketties may be filled at a time without departing from the spirit of my invention, and that although I prefer to operate my process continuously by filling the kettles in sequence, an alternative method of operation is to fill the kettles simultaneously, or nearly so, and to conduct the saponivacation and separation only intermittently to provide a process in which the reaction products are made, the water and glycerine vapors sepa rated from the soap, and the soap purified in batches.

A purifying agent, such as brine, is passed into the kettle 62 through the pipe 64, and this may be done before, during, or after the kettle is filled with the reaction products, as desired. After the brine or other purifying agent is mixed with the reaction products in the kettle 62, a reaction takes place, often termed salting-out in the trade, during which the impurities settle to the bottom of the kettle together with the brine or other purifying agent. When the salting-out operation is completed, the brine and impurities are drawn off from the kettle 62 by opening the valve 10 and allowing them to be removed through the waste pipe II, and the valve 10 is then closed. The valve 66 is then opened, and the purified soap may then be pumped out of the kettle 62 through the pipe 61 and to the coil 8| of the secondary heating means 80 by means of the soap pump 68.

In the coil 8| the temperature and pressure of the purified soap is raised, and it is then delivered through the pipe to the nozzle SI of the finishing chamber 50. The soap emerges from a constricted orifice in the nozzle ill in the form of a high velocity jet containing steam and particles of soap. The soap is thrown down violently to the bottom of the separating chamber 80 due to the velocity ofthe jet, and in its passage through the chamber the steam escapes therefrom, being withdrawn from the chamber by the suction-blower 93. The ssoap, having a desired water; content, is collected in the bottom of the separating chamber and is withdrawn therefrom as desired through the valve 84.

Itwill be clear that by providing a sufilcient number of kettles 62, and by purifying their contents in sequence, a continuous flow of purified soap can be maintained in the pipe 61. As soon as one kettle has been emptied of its purified soap through the pipe 61', another kettle outlet valve 66 may be opened, and the purified soap of its kettle can be drawn off through the pipe 61. Of course, as soon as one kettle is emptied, its value 66 is closed, its inlet valve Si is opened, and it is again filled with unpurified reaction products which are purified as described hereinabove. This provides a continuous soap making process.

By regulating the temperature and pressure in the coil 8| of the secondary heater 80 by controlling the amount of heat supplied thereto by the burner 83 or otherwise, the soap collected in the finishing chamber can be given any desired water content.

I claim as my invention:

1. A process of making soap, including the steps of: withdrawing a stream of anhydrous and glycerine free soap from a chamber containing the same; purifying said soap by adding an aqueous purifying agent thereto capable of throwing down undesirable impurities therefrom; separating said purified soap from said impurities thus thrown down while retaining an excess of moisture in the purified soap; passing said purified soap through a secondary heating zone so as to raise the temperature of said soap; ejecting said purified soap into a finishing means; and controlling the moisture content of the finished soap by controlling the temperature of the soap so ejected and thus controlling the amount of excess moisture which is vaporized.

2. A process of making soap, including the steps of: withdrawing a stream of substantially anhydrous and glycerine free soap from a receptacle containing the same; purifying said soap in batches so as to remove impurities therefrom; separating from said batches the purified soap and said impurities; passing a continuous stream of the latch-purified soap through a secondary heating zone so as to raise the temperature of said soap; and spraying said purified soap to control the moisture content of the finished soap.

3. A process of making soap, including the steps of withdrawing substantially anhydrous and glycerine free soap from a receptacle containing the same; mixing a purifying agent with said soap as to remove impurities therefrom; separating said purified soap from said impurities; passing said purified soap through a heating zone so as to raise the temperature of said soap; ejecting said purified soap into a finished means; and controlling the moisture content of the finished soap by controlling the temperature of the soap so ejected.

4. A continuous process of making soap, including the steps of: withdrawing a stream of hot anhydrous soap from a receptacle containing the same and discharging said soap into a pinrality of purifying devices in sequence, said purifying devices having connected outlets; purifying the soap in each of said purifying devices in sequence so as to remove impurities therefrom; separating said soap from said impurities in each of said purifying devices; removing saidpurified soap from said purifying devices in such sequence through said outlets as to form a substantially continuous flow of purified soap from said purifying devices; and spraying said soap to remove excess moisture therefrom.

5. A continuous process of making soap, including the steps of: withdrawing hot anhydrous soap from a receptacle containing the same and discharging said soap into a plurality of purifying devices to form a plurality of batches; purifying the soap in each of said batches so as to remove impurities therefrom; removing said purified soap from each of said batches substantially in sequence so as to form a substantially continuous flowof purified soap from said purifying devices; passing said flow of purified soap through a secondary heating zone whereby the temperature of said soap may be raised; and continuously spraying said stream of soap to remove excess moisture therefrom.

6. A process of making soap, which process includes the steps of: continuously withdrawing substantially dry soap from a receptacle and increasing the pressure thereon; purifying said soap to remove impurities while said soap is at said increased pressure by adding a purifying agent thereto and separating the purifying agent and impurities to leave a soap containing an excess of moisture; further increasing the pressure of said soap and heating same; and then spraying said heated soap to remove moisture therefrom.

7. A process of producing soap. which process includes the steps of: continuously withdrawing a stream of molten soap from a receptacle containing the same and in which the vapors have been separated to produce molten anhydrous soap; injecting a liquid into said molten soap to cool same and form a liquid soap; removing impurities from said liquid soap; and spraying the purified soap to produce a soap of desired moisture content.

8. A process of producing soap, which includes the steps of: subjecting a mixture of soap and vaporizable impurities to suflicient heat to effect the separation of said impurities in a vapor separating chamber and to cause the resultant substantially anhydrous soap to be in a molten condition: continuously withdrawing said substantially anhydrous soap from said chamber and hydrating the withdrawn soap to such an extent that it contains an amount of moisture in excess of that desired in the finished soap. and subsequently removing the excess moisture to leave a soap of the desired moisture content by spraying a stream of the soap containing the excess moisture to reduce the moisture content to the desired degree.

9. In a process of treating soap, the steps which comprise forming a molten mass of substantially anhydrous soap in a closed chamber wherein the soap is out of contact with the atmosphere, withdrawing a stream of said molten soap from said chamber, adding sufficient water to said withdrawn soap in a space closed from the atmosphere to cool said soap and provide moisture in excess of that desired in the finished soap, and removing the excess moisture to leave a soap of the desired moisture content by spraying a stream of said soap containing said excess moisture.

10. The process as defined in claim 9 in which the mixture of soap and water is introduced to a purification zone before the said removal of the excess moisture by spraying.

11. In'a process of making soap, the steps which comprise-forming a molten mass of substantially anhydrous soap in a closed chamber 5 and out of contact with the atmosphere, withdrawing a stream of said molten soap from said chamber, simultaneously cooling and hydrating said molten soap, before damage by contact with the air, by adding a stream of water to said 10 stream of molten soap and spraying the soap mixture to produce a powdered soap of desired moisture content.

12. In a process of making soap, the steps which comprise heating a mixture of soap, water 16 and glycerine to a temperature above the melting point of the soap when anhydrous and separating water and glycerine vapor from said soap to leave a mass of substantially anhydrous molten soap, withdrawing a stream of said an- 20 hydrous molten soap from said mass and. mixing therewith a stream of water to simultaneously cool and hydrate said soap and spraying the soap mixture to produce a cool soap having a desired moisture content.

13. In a process of making soap, the steps which comprise delivering a heated mixture of soap, water and glycerine into a vapor separating chamber at a temperature sufliciently high to cause glycerine and water vapor to separate 30 from said soap and leave molten substantially anhydrous soap, withdrawing glycerine and water vapor from said chamber at a rate suflicient to maintain a vacuum in said chamber, withdrawing a stream of said molten anhydrous soap and continuously admixing therewith a stream of water in a closed passageway and in suificient amount to substantially simultaneously cool and hydrate said soap, and spraying the soap mixture to produce a soap having a desired 40 moisture content.

14. A process of making soap which comprises the steps of withdrawing a stream of hot anhydrous soap from a receptacle containing the same, cooling said soap in the absence of air by 45 adding a stream of cooling liquid to said stream of soap and thereafter moving the mixture to a vaporization zone and effecting the removal of predetermined quantities of 'said cooling liquid by vaporization thereof.

15. In combination with the step of producing a highly heated, molten, dry soap substantially free from water and glycerine, the step of cooling. before damage by contact with the air, the soap from a dry molten condition at a higher 5 temperature to a dry condition at a lower temperature which comprises continuously mixing a flowing current of the dry molten soap with a flowing current of liquid water and removing substantially all of the water from said mixture so by spraying the same into a vaporizing chamber whereby to cool the soap and leave substantially no water unvolatilized.

16. A process of cooling soap from a dry molten condition at a high temperature to a dry 5 condition at a lower temperature, which comprises continuously mixing a flowing current of dry molten soap with a flowing current of liquid water and effecting the removal of water from said mixture by spraying the same into a vapor- 70 izing chamber and regulating the degree of vaporization whereby to produce a soap of the desired moisture content.

17. In combination with the step of producing molten dry soap by separating water and glyc- Tl erine from a highly heated soap, the step of cooling and hydrating the soap to the desired point which comprises continuously mixing a flowing current of dry molten soap with a flowing current of liquid water and cooling the soap by spraying the same into a vaporizing chamber and eiTectingWhe removal of predetermined quantities of the water to produce a hydrated soap of the desired moisture content.

18. A process of making soap comprising:

thdrawing from a vapor separating chamber a.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. I Patent No. 2,1LL2,982. January 5, 1-959.

BENJAMIN H. THURMAN.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, second column, line L l for "stream" read steam; page second column, line 16, for "value" read valve; line 51, claim 2, for "latch-purified read batchpurified; line 56, claim 5, after "steps of" insertacolon; line 59, same claim, strike out "as"; line 63, same claim 5, for "finished" read finishing; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of February, A. D. 1959.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

